I would have sacked Richard Scudamore, David Cameron suggests

Asked if 'someone in your team could survive if they admitted that sort of
thing' the Prime Minister replied: 'No I don’t think they would'

Asked if 'someone in your team could survive if they admitted that sort of thing' Mr Cameron said: 'No I don’t think they would. But as I say I have not seen these specific texts and emails. I am very happy to go and look at them.'Photo: PA

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore should be sacked, David Cameron has suggested.

In his first intervention on the sexism row that is dominating the football world, Mr Cameron said Mr Scudamore would have been sacked by now if he had been in the Cabinet.

Criticism of Mr Scudamore and the Premier League intensified over the past week following the revelation that he had exchanged sexist emails with a lawyer friend, who is also now under investigation by his employer.

The emails referred to women in derogatory terms, contained sexual innuendos, and made jokes about "female irrationality".

The Premier League’s audit and remuneration committee met on Monday to discuss what action to take.

In an interview with Five Live’s Drive programme, Mr Cameron stressed he had not seen the emails himself but said “people should treat everybody else with respect”.

Asked if “someone in your team could survive if they admitted that sort of thing”, after taking tough line on racism, Mr Cameron replied: “No I don’t think they would. But as I say I have not seen these specific texts and emails. I am very happy to go and look at them.”

Asked if the comments would not be tolerated, Mr Cameron said: "Absolutely – we have to set and keep high standards in politics. I have tried to enforce that in my own party over a number of years.”

The comments appear to represent a significant hardening in attitude from Number 10.

Earlier on Monday, the Prime Minister’s spokesman told Lobby journalists: “He shares the view that was expressed by the minister for sport last week. Helen Grant said she thought the views that were set out were unacceptable.”

Asked if Mr Scudamore should stand down, he said: “Helen Grant was right to say what she did – clearly associating the Prime Minister directly with those remarks. In terms of staffing decisions at the Premier League it is for the Premier League.”

The comments came a day after the Premier League was forced to defend its working environment after the woman who blew the whistle on Mr Scudamore said she was “humiliated, belittled and disgusted” when reading the messages.

Rani Abraham, who worked as a temporary personal assistant for Mr Scudamore, told the Sunday Mirror: “This is not the sort of thing that goes on in offices these days.”

A Premier League spokesman said: “We do not recognise this characterisation of the working environment at the Premier League, nor do we believe that it can be supported by the facts.

“The chief executive has already apologised for any offence caused and a proper review of all the evidence is now under way within the Premier League's established and rigorous procedures.

“This process is not yet concluded and it is therefore not possible to offer comments in detail at this stage. However we will make a further statement in due course.

“The Premier League continues to be fully committed to treating all staff fairly and on merit, regardless of gender.”

The Football Association’s independent board member Heather Rabbatts, who will chair a meeting of its inclusion advisory board to discuss the case on Tuesday, has also issued a statement saying Scudamore should consider his position in light of “growing evidence of a closed culture of sexism” at the Premier League.

Abraham said she felt she had a duty to speak out about the contents of emails between her boss and his lawyer friend.

“Mr Scudamore has a huge amount of influence and is paid a vast sum of money and has behaved wrongly," she said.

“Having witnessed that I felt I had a duty to speak out. If I didn't then I'd somehow be condoning his behaviour - just like the other people who saw those messages.

“Despite what some people have said since the Sunday Mirror printed the story last week, this is not the sort of thing that goes on in offices these days.

“And for those people who've attacked me for saying they were just ‘jokes’ I wonder how they would feel if their wife or girlfriend or daughter had to read messages like that.

"And how would they feel if those messages were written about their wife or girlfriend or daughter? We've heard of casual racism and I think there's a lot of casual sexism in the game."

Sponsor Barclays has also expressed its disappointment to the league.

The committee only has the power to make a recommendation and consists of four members, the others being Manchester United director David Gill, Stoke chairman Peter Coates and Premier League referees' chairman John Williams.